USNI News – Up to six U.S Marine Corps MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles will operate from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa for a year to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions around the southwest region of Japan, according to a Japan Ministry of Defense and Foreign Ministry public explainer document released Tuesday.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
What is an Italian Carrier Strike Group Doing in the Indo-Pacific?
War on the Rocks – The Cavour carrier strike group’s arrival in Tokyo should not be seen as yet another European “showing the flag” journey in distant waters. It comes hot on the heels of a substantive training and engagement schedule in which engagement with Asian partners advances Italy’s pursuit of a fifth-generation carrier strike capability and signals the country’s concerns over the fragility of the international maritime order. It is a flag-bearer for an economic connectivity strategy and a security strategy for the Mediterranean in which the geographical boundaries of this theatre extend eastwards beyond the western Indian Ocean. These are important political steps indicating a commitment to maintaining a technological edge in defense and to working with others to do so — regardless of geographical boundaries, because their uses apply across different interlinked theatres.
How America Lost Its Global Connectivity Lead and Why the Future Depends on Getting it Back
War on the Rocks – The global telecommunications network is increasingly owned and maintained by entities that can be manipulated against the United States. And America and its allies have dropped their deserved lead as innovators in this industry. For the United States, regaining a technological and strategic lead in telecommunications is an urgent necessity for national security. That’s what I will try to convince you of here: The United States used to dominate in this sector. It does not anymore. It is critical that American industry focuses on the next deep horizon, specifically in optimization, private networks, and free space optics, with a lot of help from the U.S. Department of Defense. It’s also a great opportunity for investment. Both public and private sector players can work now to meet this challenge and should, before it’s too late to re-establish dominance.
Don’t Ever Invade China: Xi Jinping Prioritizes Border, Coastal, and Air Defense
War on the Rocks – Chinese leader Xi Jinping underscored mainland defense on July 30 with a speech to the Chinese Communist Party’s politburo standing committee group study session on China’s border, coastal, and air defense (边海空防).
Setbacks in the Royal Navy’s effort to get newly acquired auxiliary ships into service
Navy Lookout – Early in 2023, the MoD purchased two former commercial vessels for the Naval Service. Despite their procurement ‘at pace’, RFA Proteus has yet to conduct any useful operations and RFA Stirling Castle is being laid up or ‘paused’ temporarily mainly due to a lack of qualified people to operate her.
40 Chinese Ships Blockade Resupply Mission to Philippine Coast Guard Flagship in South China Sea
USNI News – A resupply mission to the Philippine Coast Guard’s flagship stationed at a contested South China Sea feature was blocked by 40 Chinese vessels in the latest incident around Escoda Shoal, according to Manila.
No U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Deployed In The Pacific
Naval News – The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln from 7th Fleet to 5th Fleet has left the United States with no deployed carriers in the Pacific Ocean, at a time when they are needed most.
Uncrewed Platforms Have Been Critical to Ukraine’s Success in the Black Sea
RUSI – A consideration of other options shows that the success Ukraine has had in keeping the Russian Black Sea Fleet at bay could only have been achieved using uncrewed vessels.
ZEPREP
CIMSEC – A FICINT short story.
Everything We Just Learned About The Ghost Shark Uncrewed Submarine
The War Zone – Anduril says it has received active interest in integrating more than a dozen new military and commercial payloads onto its Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XL-AUV). Payload testing and otherwise demonstrating the Ghost Shark’s highly modular design are core focuses of new work on the underwater drone that is now set to occur in the United States.
Fuel Supplies To Russian Troops, Crimea Strangled By Destruction Of Ship
The War Zone – The destruction of the ship full of fuel tank train cars at a port in the Kerch Strait yesterday will hamper Russia’s ability to supply troops and the Crimean peninsula with fuel and lubricants, according to the Ukrainian Navy and the popular Crimean Wind Telegram channel. As we reported yesterday, the Conro Trader, a Russian Roll On Roll Off (RORO) vessel with a reported 30 fuel tank cars aboard, erupted in a ball of flames at the Port of Kavkaz.
At Ingalls, plenty of space for shipbuilding but ramping up workforce will be the challenge
Breaking Defense – “People can go do far less difficult things for just about the same money from an entry wage standpoint,” Ingalls’ Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson told Breaking Defense. “I will say though that within a year-and-a-half to two years, you can double your salary as a shipbuilder.”
CMSI Note #9: On the PLAN’s “Core Operational Capabilities”
China Maritime Studies Institute – Key takeaways:
- The PLAN is prioritizing the development of what it calls “four core operational capabilities.” These capabilities include 1) integrated near seas operations, 2) far seas mobile operations, 3) strategic deterrence and counterstrike, and 4) amphibious warfare.
- Analysis of Chinese writings suggest the focus of these efforts is on prevailing in a high-end conflict involving the U.S. military.
- The PLAN seeks the ability to dominate the near seas, strike U.S. bases and sea lines of communication in waters east of the first island chain and in the Indian Ocean, achieve “reliable, credible, and effective” deterrence against the U.S. through SSBN patrols within and beyond the first island chain, and execute sophisticated multi-domain amphibious operations against U.S. allies and partners.
Starlink Now Being Deployed On U.S. Navy Warships
The War Zone – Starlink is part of the Navy’s ambitious SEA2 program that aims to provide high-bandwidth resilient global connectivity for U.S. warships that will have major operational and morale benefits.
Australia To Help Maintain Visiting U.S. Nuclear Submarine For The First Time
The War Zone – The Virginia class submarine USS Hawaii is in port in Australia for routine maintenance, with that country’s navy set to help out with that work in a first-of-its-kind team-up. This is a new and important step forward in plans to start rotational deployments of U.S. and British nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
French Navy Ship Hits Surface Drone Menacing A Tanker In The Red Sea
Naval News – A French Navy Horizon type air defense destroyer successfully intercepted a USV attempting to attack a tanker in the Red Sea.
Navy Could Sideline 17 Support Ships Due to Manpower Issues
USNI News – Military Sealift Command has drafted a plan to remove the crews from 17 Navy support ships due to a lack of qualified mariners to operate the vessels across the Navy.
There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist
War on the Rocks – Since 1979, it has been the policy of the United States, as codified in the Taiwan Relations Act, to maintain the capacity to resist the use of force or other forms of coercion by China against Taiwan. Until recently it could be taken for granted that the United States was able to directly thwart a Chinese attack on Taiwan. But dramatic increases in China’s military capability over recent decades have called that into question, particularly with the military balance trending ever further in China’s direction for at least the near future.
Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in U.S. Central Command
USNI News – Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) arrived in the Middle East Wednesday, according to U.S. Central Command.
Iran’s Bizarre ‘Aircraft Carrier’ Seen In New Detail
The War Zone – A converted commercial ship with an angled flight deck, the Shahid Bagheri looks strange but could fill a mission set that Iran has been developing for years.
The U.S. Navy’s Constellation-Class Frigate Problem
National Interest – James Holmes writes that the USS Constellation (FFG-62) frigate program is doing little to refurbish the U.S. Navy’s reputation for competence. Intended to deliver a flotilla of at least twenty small, hard-hitting surface combatants in reasonably short order at manageable cost, the program is 36 months—and counting—behind schedule.
Red Sea Combat Experience Helping Refine Surface Warfare Education, Say Navy Leaders
USNI News – During his warship’s recent deployment to the Middle East, a guided-missile destroyer commander fired off some five terabytes of data about his crew’s operations in the Red Sea. On the receiving end was the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center in California, which collected from USS Mason (DDG-87) a treasure trove of information and combat systems data in an amount akin to 1 million cellphone photographs or 2 million books.
China Launches Its Most Sophisticated Submarine To Date
Naval News – A Chinese shipyard in Wuhan has launched a submarine which is likely to be the country’s most advanced non-nuclear type. The new boat is larger than existing ones and is the first in the country to feature X-form rudders. There are indications that it may have a vertical launch system.
Upgraded 1,200-ton submarine delivered to Korean Navy
AJU Press – The South Korean defense procurement agency on Monday delivered an upgraded 1,200-ton submarine to the Navy following a refurbishment that enhanced its combat and detection capabilities.
(Thanks to Alain)
Laser Weapon Appears On Chinese Amphibious Assault Ship
The War Zone – A Chinese Type 071 amphibious transport dock has emerged from a refit sporting a new laser directed energy weapon system.
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